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Toxic Substances in Anaerobic Digestion

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Anaerobic Digestion Processes in Industrial Wastewater Treatment

Part of the book series: Biotechnology Monographs ((BIOTECHNOLOGY,volume 2))

Abstract

Inhibition of the anaerobic digestion process can be mediated to varying degrees by toxic materials present in the system; these substances may be components of the influent wastestream, or byproducts of the metabolic activities of the digester bacteria. Inhibitory toxic compounds include sulphides, consequential in the processing of wastes from such sources as molasses fermentation, petroleum refining and tanning industries, and volatile acids, microbial products which can accumulate and exceed the reactor buffering capacity. Inhibition may also arise as the consequence of the levels of ammonia, alkali and the alkaline earth metals, and heavy metals in the system. The latter have been considered the most common and major factors governing reactor failure [1, 2].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Public Health Engineering Laboratory, Department of Civil Engineering, Imperial College, SW7 2BU, London, UK

    Sandra M. Stronach, Thomasine Rudd & John N. Lester

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  1. Sandra M. Stronach
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  2. Thomasine Rudd
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  3. John N. Lester
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© 1986 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Stronach, S.M., Rudd, T., Lester, J.N. (1986). Toxic Substances in Anaerobic Digestion. In: Anaerobic Digestion Processes in Industrial Wastewater Treatment. Biotechnology Monographs, vol 2. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-71215-9_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-71215-9_5

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-71217-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-71215-9

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